Collection Summary
H. Kent Hewitt Papers
1903-1972
(bulk 1940-1949)
1903-1972
(bulk 1940-1949)
MSS61740
Hewitt, H. Kent (Henry
Kent), 1887-1972
2000
items
10 containers plus 1 oversize
4.6 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Naval officer.
Correspondence, naval planning memoranda, writings, and newspaper clippings
documenting Hewitt's naval career, especially as commander of United States
naval forces in the Mediterranean during World War II.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Hewitt, H. Kent (Henry Kent), 1887-1972.
Organizations
United States. Navy--History.
Subjects
Operation Dragoon, 1944.
Salerno, Battle of, Salerno, Italy, 1943.
Voyages around the world.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Italy.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Mediterranean Region.
World War, 1939-1945--Military intelligence.
World War, 1939-1945--Naval operations, American.
Places
United States--History, Naval.
Occupations
Naval officers.
Provenance
The papers of H. Kent Hewitt, naval officer, were deposited in the
Library of Congress by the Naval Historical Foundation in 1984 and 1992 and
converted to gift in 1998.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of H. Kent Hewitt
in these papers and in other collections of papers in the custody of the
Library of Congress is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States
(Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of H. Kent Hewitt are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, H. Kent Hewitt Papers, Naval
Historical Foundation Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1887, Feb. 11
Born,
Hackensack, N.J.
1903
1906
Attended
United States Naval Academy
,
Annapolis, Md.
, graduated as Passed
Midshipman; received degree in 1907
1906
1909
On board Missouri (Battleship);
sailed around the world as part of the
Great White Fleet
1908
Commissioned ensign
1910
Transferred to Connecticut
(Battleship) as watch and division officer
1911
Assigned to Flusser (Destroyer)
as executive officer and navigator
Commissioned lieutenant (junior grade)
1913
Married
Floride Louise Hunt
Promoted to lieutenant
1913
1916
Mathematics instructor,
United States Naval Academy
,
Annapolis, Md.
1916
Commander of the Eagle (converted
yacht) for survey and patrol work in the
Caribbean
1918
Ordered to
Europe
; escorted convoys as commander of the
Cummings (Destroyer)
1919
1921
Instructor, electrical engineering and physics,
United States Naval Academy
, Annapolis,
Md.
1921
Gunnery officer aboard the Pennsylvania (Battleship)
1922
Promoted to commander
1928
1931
Naval War College
,
Newport, R.I.
, first as student, then on
staff
1931
Commander,
Destroyer Division Twelve, Battle Fleet
1933
1936
Head,
Department of Mathematics
,
United States Naval Academy
,
Annapolis, Md.
1936
Commander of the Indianapolis
(Heavy Cruiser); carried
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
to
Pan-American Conference
at
Buenos Aires, Argentina,
Nov.-Dec.
1939
Promoted to rear admiral
1941
1942
Commander,
Atlantic Fleet Task Groups
carrying out
neutrality patrols and convoy escorts
1942
Commander,
Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet
Commander,
Western Naval Task Force
; established
United Stated Army
troops ashore in
Morocco
Promoted to vice admiral
1943
Established and commanded the
United States Naval Forces in North West African Waters
(Eighth Fleet)
headquartered in
Algiers
Commander, American half of the invasion of
Sicily, Italy
Commander,
Allied Combined Forces
which established the
Allied Army
at
Salerno, Italy
1944
Carried out the assault landing of troops at
Anzio, Italy
Moved
Eighth Fleet
headquarters to
Naples, Italy
Commander,
Allied Forces
which established the
Seventh Army
on shore in
southern France
1945
Promoted to admiral
Returned to the
United States
for special duty with
Pearl Harbor
investigation
1945
1947
Advisor,
Naval War College
,
Newport, R.I.
1947
1949
Head,
American Naval Mission
to the
United Nations
; served on the
Military Staff Committee of the Security
Council
1949
Retired; moved to
Orwell, Vt.
1972, Sept. 15
Died,
Middlebury, Vt.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of
Henry Kent Hewitt (1887-1972)
span the years
1903-1972 with the bulk of the material dating from the 1940s. The papers
consist primarily of correspondence, naval planning memoranda, news clippings,
and writings. Hewitt commanded
United States naval forces
in the
Mediterranean
during World War II and led naval
operations and invasions in
northern Africa
,
Sicily
,
southern Italy
, and
southern France.
The
[
Naval
Operations
](nav) series documents the logistical planning and intelligence
gathering conducted in preparation for the invasions of
southern France
(Operation Anvil)
and
southern Italy
(Operation Avalanche).
The items were placed in
notebooks and have been kept in their original order.
Hewitt divided his correspondence into official and personal
correspondence. The
[
Correspondence
](cor) series has retained that division,
although most items in the personal file deal with navy matters. Of special
interest are the lengthy letters Hewitt wrote to his mother in 1908-1909 while
voyaging around the world with the
Great White Fleet.
Organization of the Papers
The collection is arranged in four series:
-
[
Correspondence,
1908-1962
](cor)
-
[
Naval
Operations, 1943-1944
](nav)
-
[
Subject Files,
1903-1972
](sub)
-
[
Oversize,
1943-1946
](ove)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm84061740]
Container List
Box
Contents
1-6
Correspondence,
1908-1962
1908-1962
Divided into official and personal correspondence. Official
correspondence is further divided into a chronological file and files related
to decorations, awards, and orders.
Items are arranged chronologically within their category.
1
Official
Chronological, 1929-1952
(4 folders)
Decorations and awards,
1945-1950
(2 folders)
Orders, 1933-1945
Personal
Jan.1908-Jan. 1909; Oct.
1919
July-Dec. 1931
2
Jan. 1932-Dec. 1944
[
See also Oversize
](janov)
(10 folders)
3
Jan. 1945-Feb. 1946
(9 folders)
4
Mar. 1946-Mar. 1947
(9 folders)
5
Apr. 1947-May 1948
(9 folders)
6
June 1948-Dec. 1962
(5 folders)
6-9
Naval Operations,
1943-1944
1943-1944
Notebooks of orders, plans, and memoranda.
Organized alphabetically by name of operation. Items have been
removed from notebooks, but the original order within each notebook has been
maintained.
6
Operation Anvil
Miscellaneous memoranda,
1943-1944
(2 folders)
Planning memoranda,
1944
Front matter
Nos. 1-5
7
Nos. 6-42
[
See also Oversize
](plaov)
(7 folders)
Annexes, 1944
A
8
B-S
[
See also Oversize
](annov)
(7 folders)
Operation Avalanche, notebook,
1943
Parts
1-2,
[
See also Oversize
](opeov)
(2 folders)
9
Parts 3-5,
[
See also
Oversize
](parov)
(3 folders)
Orders, 1944
(2 folders)
9-10
Subject Files,
1903-1972
1903-1972
News clippings, biographical material, speeches and writings,
travel documents, Naval Academy scrapbook, and printed matter.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material or name of topic.
9
Biographical material
News clippings
English language, 1939-1950,
1967, undated
French language,
1943-1946
Photograph and résumé, 1945,
1972
Certificate of identification,
1918
Formations and Maneuvers of Destroyers,
U.S. Fleet,
1932
Keuffel v.
Pickett, 1936, 1948, undated
Printed matter
Miscellany, 1924-1927, 1946,
1958
News clippings re military
topics, 1945
10
Rosters of officers,
1938-1950
Scrapbook, United States Naval
Academy, Annapolis, Md., 1903-1905
Speeches and writings, 1925,
1931, 1945-1951, 1967, undated
(2 folders)
Trips
Germany, 1946
Portugal, 1946
South America, 1936
Turkey, 1946
[
See also
Oversize
](turov)
OV 1
Oversize,
1943-1946
1943-1946
Maps and diagrams.
Organized and described according to the series, folders, and
boxes from which the items were removed.
OV 1
Correspondence
Personal
21 Oct. 1942, from
Hewitt to Petrie, attachment
[
(Container 2)
](per2)
Naval Operations
Operation Anvil
Planning
memoranda
No. 13,
panoramic sketch of German-defended coast, 1944
[
(Container 7)
](pla7)
Annexes
H, appendix G,
map of assault convoy routes in Mediterranean, 1944
[
(Container 8)
](ann8)
Operation Avalanche
Part 1
Appendix 1,
allied and enemy aircraft, 1943
[
(Container 8)
](app8)
Appendix 3, map,
airdomes-Italy, 1943
[
(Container 8)
](app8)
Part 3, map of
coast defense batteries, Gaeta-Naples-Salerno, 1943
[
(Container 9)
](map9)
Subject File
Trips
Turkey, map,
funeral procession, 1946
[
(Container 10)
](tur10)